Natural Beauty

While there’re are still some fairly major changes coming (pillars!), there’s also a lot of finishing detail happening.

The porch trim is all painted out, as are the pillar supports. The front paint job just lacks the black detailing. It’s a very handsome picture. (Picture taken by Eric Carrington of Newlook Remodel, our painting contractor.)

This is from about a week later. If you look closely, you can see that the porch ceiling (yellow pine beadboard) has been completed, and they’re putting up detail trimming under the porch fascia.

Here’s a better picture of the porch ceiling, as well as a close-up of the fascia.

The beautiful Douglas fir floor, in all its autumnal glory, contrasting vibrantly against the gray and white of its painted companions.

The redwood treads of the permanent stairs…

…and their white painted risers.

Just finished painting the last pillar support plinth.

A view of the original front door with its newly painted white surround. I’m not sure what the plans are for the unpainted strip of trim at the top of the door surround. The dental molding will be replaced, at least. I guess every construction project wants to maintain a little mystery!

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Pillars and Flooring and Molding, Oh My!

It just gets better and better.

We’re starting to see some of the finished white trim on the porch. They’ve also finished the trim on the second floor; the ugly brown stripe has been replaced with clean white and black wrapping around the house.

And later, even more white. This picture gives a different idea of how the shape of the porch works with other elements of the house’s architecture. It’s an arresting conglomeration of shapes that somehow come together in a harmonious whole. Plus, the contrast of under the porch and over the porch is visually interesting – different light values, and a much stronger sense of the horizontal and vertical below; it’s almost void of any other type of element. Above, you get a better view of the new second floor molding just below the roof line.

And look! Gray and white on the porch wall, so recently painted it’s still shiny and you can see the brush strokes.

More details of the roof molding. It looks almost Japanese to me at this stage – the contrast between the painted and natural elements and the intricate-but-simple shapes, I suppose. Not to mention the juxtaposition of the built and non-built environments. I like it.

A peek at the new porch floor. The dropcloth offers protection from construction damage, but I peeled it back for a better look. Douglas fir is a beautiful choice for flooring, and it contrasts so nicely with the gray.

There’s been one element conspicuously absent from our resplendent Victorian porch so far – the pillars! Here they are, ready for more paint, and patiently awaiting the chance to escape the carriage house.

Speaking of painting, here’s a vertiginous view that gives you some idea of what it takes to paint a three story Victorian – a real head for heights. (Picture taken by Eric Carrington of Newlook Remodel, our painting contractor.)

Here’s Bill, owner of the B&B, standing proud on his new porch. (Picture taken by Eric Carrington of Newlook Remodel.)

A Puzzle and an Art Gallery

The porch has come a loooong way.

It’s much more substantial looking with impressive molding.

Here’s a better look at what’s been done from below. The support structures are in place on the roof, sheathed to keep out the weather for construction. You can also see here the final disposition of the architectural elements – the porch roof both wrapping closely around the 2nd floor bow window and resting right on top of the flush 1st floor window. It all makes so much more sense!

This is the side support beam for the base of the porch. This porch isn’t going anywhere.

It’s a bit like a 3D jigsaw puzzle; the intricacies of all the elements and forces working together to create a stable and beautiful structure.

And now for something completely different:  a residential construction site still life.

Even this far into the process, I’m still noticing details on unfinished parts of the house. Here’s an interesting discoloration and crack on one of the back corner pilasters. Was it originally two colors? Is this evidence of two different pieces of wood, showing their natural coloration? Some sort of burn damage? Although I don’t think I’m seeing any of the textures that would go with that last. Hmmm.

The painting is coming on as well. The back of the house shows the contrast between the old paint scheme and the new, without the scaffolding. Very different. The windows are giving us an art show too, courtesy of the beautiful prairie skies. You can see on the right window that the screens and storms haven’t been put back yet after having been removed for painting.

A detail of the finished paint job; silver, black, white, and gray. Dignified, crisp, and clean.